


The Final Straw

by OldGuardianNewTricks



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Found Family, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Andy, Nile Freeman Needs a Hug, Nile has been through some stuff, and she damn well gets one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:46:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29243793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OldGuardianNewTricks/pseuds/OldGuardianNewTricks
Summary: Nile has been through so much and she totally keeps it together until she comes home to Joe and Nicky arguing.It is all good in the end!
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 8
Kudos: 165





	The Final Straw

Nile has been through so much and she is exhausted. Utterly and completely exhausted. She’d died, come back to life, been kidnapped and killed again. Met a bunch of new people. Had her sleep interrupted by a horrific nightmare that turned out to be real. Spotted a betrayal in action. Shot herself in the foot. Been involved in an all out battle and been killed jumping from a 15th story penthouse only to revive and find her bones, all her damn bones repairing themselves. And she kept it together.

And that was just the start.

Life, immortal life had started with a bang and it didn’t stop. Booker is exiled for 100 years. A whole century, longer than most people lived in total and that’s the moment that the weight of immortal life really hits her. 

And she keeps it together.

Andy takes off by herself. The boys ask her not to but off she goes and Nile feels shattered. Andy is her commander, the boss and Nile feels like the rug is being pulled out from under her once again as she watches her pack a small backpack. Andy wraps her hand around the back of Nile’s neck and says 

“You’re a warrior Nile, and this isn’t forever. I’ll be back and those two men out there will look after you.”

And she keeps it together.

Nile feels the loss of her family like a physical pain. At times searingly so, like it is a nerve pain that just can’t be eased. She stares at their photographs so often that Joe offers to draw them for her. At some point when the pain is less she’ll agree but for now she needs the photos, the familiar proof that she was theirs and they were hers.

And she keeps it together. 

The breaking point is over something she would never have foreseen. Life with Joe and Nicky is remarkably domestic considering all that’s happened to her, to them all. She loves them both already and they seem to love her in return. She sees all they do for her to make her more comfortable and it warms her heart. Nicky learns how to make the food her mom did, Joe tells her stories and takes her to art galleries. Both of them train her in combat and watching them dance together with their swords is nothing short of exhilarating. They will both get up with her when she has a nightmare about Quynh and she is eternally grateful to them. Joe tells her stories about their fierce, loving and hilarious sister and Nicky makes them tea. They hold her until she stops shaking 

They are a constant. Joe and Nicky, Joe&Nicky, JoeNicky. Immortality seems slightly less terrifying with them at her side, them at her back. 

And she keeps it together until the day she comes home from a run and everything is off. It all looks the same with her stuff scattered where she’d left it, Joe’s sketchbook and charcoal on the table and Nicky’s latest book open on the sofa. The boys are in the kitchen talking in their usual mix of languages but so quickly Nile can’t make any of it out. Except this isn’t them talking, their voices aren’t raised but they are wrong. Nicky sounds cold and harsh and totally unlike her Nicky. Then Joe laughs and it she gasps because Joe’s laugh has become one of her favourite sounds but this is like a terrible imitation. It’s cold and hollow and is totally unlike her Joe. They seem to be unaware of her presence as they continue what is clearly an argument. 

Joe and Nicky are arguing.

Joe and Nicky, her Joe and Nicky who have been together for centuries are arguing. They are arguing and there is nothing but anger between them. She sees no sign of the men she loves so deeply and if they are gone what does she have? She can’t see her family. Andy is gone. Booker is a mess. She only has Joe and Nicky but they aren’t here anymore and...and...and..

She can’t watch this. 

She hates this.

She turns and runs for her room letting the door slam behind her. She throws herself at her bed and the tears won’t stop. She hears a weird noise and somewhere she realises that it is coming from her. She’s crying so hard that she doesn’t hear her door opening but she’s vaguely aware of the bed dipping on either side of her.

“Nile?”

“What’s wrong Nile, tell us?”

They sound like themselves now, Nicky’s voice is soft and Joe looks deeply distressed as he strokes her back.

“You, you were arguing.”

“Yes... we were but what’s wrong Nile?”

Nicky sounds confused and he’s switching from gazing at her to exchanging looks with Joe.

“I, I can’t. If you two split up I just, I can’t. So much is different but you two are solid and...”

She trails off wiping her eyes and Joe laughs. His laugh, his warm deep laugh that she knows so well and she turns to him.

“Nile, I love Nicky more than life itself. I could no more leave him than I could leave myself.”

“Joe is part of me Nile. The best part of me I could never leave his side. I will never leave his side.”

They are holding hands now whilst both keep an arm each firmly around her. It’s helping and she feels grounded. 

“But in the kitchen.”

“That was nothing Nile. So much has happened to us, all of us and we both needed to vent.”

“But you looked like you hated each other.”

“We’ve not hated each other for many centuries Nile.”

Joe’s voice is serious but still has his gentleness in it.

“We promise you that we’re good Nile. We’re still us. Occasionally we have a disagreement but we’ll make sure not to do it around you.”

Nicky holds her tighter and sounds agitated 

“We’re sorry we upset you Nile.”

They cuddle together and Nile drifts off listening to them reassuring her and then just talking to each other whilst keeping their arms firmly around her. This goes on for quite some time until Joe’s stomach grumbles and they go off to make dinner, not before each of them hugs her and kisses her forehead. She goes to wash up and when she makes it into the kitchen they are speaking in their mix of languages again but it is soft and loving once more. They plate up and dinner is just like usual.

Later Nile asks them what they were arguing about and facepalms to find out it was all over a bet Nicky made with Booker in 1903 that he couldn’t learn to be a sword swallower. 

“And he couldn’t.“

Says Joe sternly as Nicky says 

“Shut up Joe!”

“But he can swallow my...”

This time it is Nile who yells 

“Shut up Joe!”

“You know that even if Uncle Nicky and Uncle Joe split up they will still both love you very much Nile.”

Andy appears and slips into an empty seat at the table.

“Shut up Andy!”

“How did you know?”

Nile is delighted to see her but bewildered at her sudden presence.

“These two panicked and texted me when you got upset. Honestly, it’s like I can’t leave you for a minute.”

The evening ends with Joe, Nicky and Andy outdoing themselves with relating their stupidest ever deaths and they all end up crying from laughter and finding it difficult to breathe.

For once Nile is happy to not keep it together.

**Author's Note:**

> I am at home with a tooth infection and waiting for the painkillers and antibiotics to kick in. This little thing came to me and I had to get it down.


End file.
